1.

Kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs

found along the posterior wall of the
abdominal cavity. The left kidney is located
slightly higher than the right kidney
because the right side of the liver is much
larger than the left side. The kidneys filter
metabolic wastes, excess ions, and
chemicals from the blood to form urine.
2. Ureters are a pair of tubes that carry urine
from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. The
ureters are about 10 to 12 inches long and
run on the left and right sides of the body
parallel to the vertebral column. The ends
of the ureters extend slightly into the
urinary bladder and are sealed at the point
of entry to the bladder by the
ureterovesical valves. These valves prevent
urine from flowing back towards the
kidneys.
3. Urinary Bladder is a sac-like hollow organ
used for the storage of urine. Urine entering
the urinary bladder from the ureters slowly
fills the hollow space of the bladder and
stretches its elastic walls. The walls of the
bladder allow it to stretch to hold anywhere
from 600 to 800 milliliters of urine.
4. Urethra is the tube through which urine
passes from the bladder to the exterior of the body. The male urethra is around 8 to 10 inches long and ends at the tip of

the penis. The urethra is also an organ of the male reproductive system as it carries sperm out of the body through the
penis.

Urinary System Physiology

Maintenance of Homeostasis

1. Ions. The kidney can control

the excretion of potassium,
sodium, calcium, magnesium,
phosphate, and chloride ions
into urine. In cases where
these ions reach a higher than
normal concentration, the
kidneys can increase their
excretion out of the body to
return them to a normal level.
Conversely, the kidneys can
conserve these ions when
they are present in lower than
normal levels by allowing the
ions to be reabsorbed into the
blood during filtration. (See
more about ions.)
2. pH. The kidneys monitor and
regulate the levels of
hydrogen ions (H+) and
bicarbonate ions in the blood
to control blood pH. H+ ions
are produced as a natural
byproduct of the metabolism
of dietary proteins and
accumulate in the blood over
time. The kidneys excrete
excess H+ ions into urine for
elimination from the body. The kidneys also conserve bicarbonate ions, which act as important pH buffers in the blood.
3. Osmolarity. The kidneys maintain the bodys osmotic balance by controlling the amount of water that is filtered out of the blood
and excreted into urine. When a person consumes a large amount of water, the kidneys reduce their reabsorption of water to
allow the excess water to be excreted in urine. This results in the production of dilute, watery urine. In the case of the body
being dehydrated, the kidneys reabsorb as much water as possible back into the blood to produce highly concentrated urine full
of excreted ions and wastes. The changes in excretion of water are controlled by antidiuretic hormone (ADH). ADH is produced in
the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary gland to help the body retain water.

4. Blood Pressure. The kidneys monitor the bodys blood pressure to help maintain homeostasis. When blood pressure is elevated,
the kidneys can help to reduce blood pressure by reducing the volume of blood in the body. The kidneys are able to reduce blood
volume by reducing the reabsorption of water into the blood and producing watery, dilute urine.